


Buffy and the Beast

by Ajmilone



Series: Once Upon a Time [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Disney References, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:02:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24325471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ajmilone/pseuds/Ajmilone
Summary: Buffy and Spike get locked in the house with a mysterious object...Continuation of my Disney crossover series!Beta’d by the extraordinary kats_meow
Relationships: Spike/Buffy Summers
Series: Once Upon a Time [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756135
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> Beta’d by the talented kats_meow! Won’t lie, I kept putting this sequel off- then I would come back, pick at it, and put it down again. So anything that doesn’t make sense or any errors are totally my fault!

Buffy and Spike tumbled through the front door with a bang, joined at the lips. Through the haze in her mind, Buffy tried to figure out just how she got home. Dragon, kissage...it all seemed very vague. She was kissing Spike. She tried to be disgusted with herself, but it was damn near impossible when he kissed her like that. She had never tasted anything like him. Deciding to figure out the rest later, she mentally shrugged and focused on the passionate vampire. Leaning against the door frame leading into the living room, Buffy fisted Spike's shirt and pulled him closer. She bit down on his lip while letting out a deep moan. Spike smiled into the kiss and shifted his leg so that it pressed against her warm center. Buffy could feel his hardness pressing into her hip and allowed herself to grind her core against his leg. 

Buffy was jolted out of her passionate fog when she heard the front door slam shut. Startled, she pulled back to look at Spike. His wide eyes showed that he was just as surprised as she was. They turned as one toward the door, ready to face any threat. But there was nothing there. 

"Ok, color me confused," she murmured. Stepping away from Spike, she slowly approached the door.

"Careful, love," Spike said from behind her. She shot him an exasperated glance that just screamed, "duh". Buffy reached out to touch the door knob. The tension was broken when she realized the door would not budge.

"What the...it's stuck or something..." she growled, giving little grunts as she attempted to force the door open. 

"Slayer," Spike started. Buffy studiously ignored him as she battled with the front door. "Buffy, pet, it's not gonna open," he tried again.

Buffy stopped pulling at the door for a moment to look at him suspiciously. "How do you know? What did you do?!" She slowly turned her body toward him. Spike, sensing danger, put his hands up in a defensive posture.

"Me? I didn't bloody do anything! But if Slayer strength doesn't open the door, it's probably magicked shut, innit?" he reasoned. Buffy reluctantly acknowledged his logic and let her arms fall to her sides. That was when she looked into the living room behind him.

"Holy crap!" she exclaimed. Spike looked at her in askance before whipping around to see what she was looking at. His eyebrows raised almost up to his hairline when he saw the newest decoration in the Summer's residence.

A rose. A single rose was floating an inch or so off the coffee table, contained by a glass dome. A small smile inched across Spike's face as he put the puzzle pieces together. A low chuckle escaped him and he even managed to cough out a, "Bloody hell. 

Buffy looked at him in confusion. "What? What do you know?" She felt a twinge of trepidation. She had finally allowed herself to admit that she felt something for Spike and now he has some kind of evil plan?

Spike looked at her with the fond patience that one would give a five-year-old. "You're cursed," he said simply. Noticing that Buffy was starting to puff herself up in anger, he hastened to explain. "Look at the facts, love. First, you had a bit of a nap brought upon you by a spinning wheel before yours truly slayed the dragon. And now a single rose? There is some kind of fairy tale mojo going on."

Buffy squinted her eyes at him and took another step forward. "What. Did. You. Do?" she asked again, this time with a bit more threat. "Are you that upset by the fake engagement? You had to curse me, too?"

Spike looked at her incredulously. "You're off your bird," he snarled. "I didn't do anything! I was chained to a bathtub, wasn't I? And here I am, snogging you, trapped the same as you. And I helped you all along the way. Why would I bother if I just wanted you to snuff it?"

Well, he had a point, there. Buffy's mind felt all muddled. "I'm off my what?" She honestly couldn't think of anything else to say. Against her own judgment, she believed him. Spike was looking at her like she was crazy and so he shook her head to clear it. "Ok, fine. Ugh, let me call Giles, maybe he has an idea about what's going on." She took a few determined steps toward the phone. Spike watched her expectantly as she put the receiver to her ear. Then, her face fell and she slowly lowered the phone.

"Phone lines are down?" he guessed. She nodded numbly. Spike nodded to himself and went to make himself comfortable on the couch. He sprawled out, allowing his legs to take up as much room as vampirely possible. "Whatever shall we do with all the spare time we suddenly seem to have?" he leered at her. 

Buffy looked at him, confused, before realizing what he was suggesting. "What? Ugh, gross, Spike," she sputtered automatically. 

"You didn't seem to take issue with me a few minutes ago," he pointed out. Seeing that her guard was back up, he sighed in resignation. "Alright, Slayer, relax. I'm not gonna bloody force myself on you. Come sit and we will figure everything out."

Buffy relaxed slightly and decided he was probably right. She plopped down next to him on the couch, close enough that she brushed against him with every minute movement. This is fine, she reasoned. Not too close, but not awkwardly far either. I can do this. I can have a normal conversation with Spike. Out loud, she decided to cut right to the chase. "So, what do you think is going on here?"

Spike rolled his head so he could look at her. "Obvious, innit? I mean, the rose kinda gives it away." When Buffy just stared at him, he rolled his eyes. "You really can't think of a fairy tale with a rose? God, pet, did your parents hate you?" 

Buffy's eyes went wide with understanding. "Beauty and the Beast? You think I'm stuck in some version of Beauty and the Beast?" With you, she added mentally. "Blergh. This is ridiculous. Ok. Ok." She took a deep calming breath. "You're Mister Smarty Pants. We're stuck here with no way to contact the outside world. How do you think we get out of this?"

A sarcastic smiled creeped across Spike's chiseled features. "Going by the Disney movie, I would say the Beast needs to learn to love another and earn her love in return. I'm love's bitch. That just means I gotta get you to fall in love with me." His tongue curled against his teeth as his eyes gave her a once over. "I, uh, have a few ideas how to accomplish that."

"You're a pig, Spike," Buffy retorted automatically. Her mind was spinning. Spike could be right. Again. He was right about the Sleeping Beauty crap she had to go through. And, somehow, he was the one who figured out how to - "Hey!" she exclaimed, sitting up straight. "You woke me up earlier."

"Well, yeah," Spike drawled. "What, did you want to remain in a blissful slumber forever? Eh, just proves my theory that every Slayer has a dea-"

"No, not that," Buffy interrupted impatiently. "You kissed me, Spike. The fairy tale is based off of True Love's Kiss, and you kissed me. And it worked. So yeah, color me wigged. I think you owe me an explanation."

Spike's eyes grew wide with the panic of a cornered animal. "Uh, well, I mean...I just thought of the engagement spell. Yeah. You seemed to really enjoy macking on yours truly. So I figured, if you were so interested in running your hands all over my tight little body before, with almost no provocation, I could probably wake you up with a little peck." He hastily put up a cocky mask. "Worked, dinnit? So don't get your knickers twisted. In fact, you can say thank you anytime now, pet." In his panic, he was starting to ramble.

Buffy just rolled her eyes and tried to play it cool. "Whatever, Spike. We both know you have the hots for me and that's why your first instinct was to kiss me. Twice. The only reason I'm not staking you right now is because we are stuck together and I may need your help getting out of this mess."

Spike bristled in defiance. "Oh no," he crowed. "The reason you're not staking me right now is because you realized that you have the feelings for me, too. It must burn you up, falling for another vamp. And don't give me that look," he cut her off with a wave of his hand when it looked like she was gonna interject. "I know where you live now, Slayer. You can't kiss a bloke like you were without admitting that there is something going on inside that cute blonde noggin of yours. The sooner you 'fess up to it, the happier we'll both be."

Buffy glared at him for a few seconds before letting her muscles go slack and slouching down into the couch. "Merr-ugh! Fine. I don't know what's going on with me...or, you know, us...so maybe we should focus on this curse thing before we do too much more touchy-feely talky."

Spike shook his head and sniggered. "Right, then. Way I figure it, we need to follow the story and give it a happy ending, yeah? All joking aside, I think it's easy to see who is the beauty and who is the beast in this scenario. So let's go from there."

Buffy just stared at him. Her mind was whirling. The Will Be Done spell had shown her that Spike was hot and a good kisser and, and, and...Buffy shook herself. She had already admitted there was somethingbetween them. It wasn't like they made out all over Sunnydale because she thought he was gross. She gave herself a wry smile - she had brought Spike home for a reason. So maybe give into him a little bit, see what happens. 

"Alright," she started. "But maybe we should take it easy. I know what was on the agenda tonight, but maybe we should shelve it for a bit." Spike let out a growl at that. Buffy just rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You're over here talking about some fairy tale come to life but you scoff at taking it slow?"

Spike gave her an exasperated look. "Nooo," he said as if talking to someone very slow, "I don't 'scoff' at it. But if we are supposed to fall in love to break the spell, a little rough and tumble should go a long way. Don't see why we can't enjoy ourselves."

She had to admit that he had a point. She was about to concede defeat when a sudden thought struck her. "Hey! If this is Beauty and the Beast, what happens if the last petal falls? In the movie, he would remain a beast forever. But, I mean, you're not gonna suddenly stop being a vampire if things go well."

Spike mulled that over for a second. When he spoke, he did so haltingly, as if thinking aloud. "I suppose, based on the nature of the spell that we see so far, we would be stuck here." He grinned at her. "There could be worse consequences than being trapped with little old me."

Buffy rolled her eyes at him even while admitting to herself that he had a point. She glanced over at him to see him leering at her with an obvious lustful hunger. Oh, screw it, she thought to herself. It's time to stop fighting things and have a bit of fun. What could that hurt? Giving a little shrug, she abruptly turned to straddle Spike's lap and latched onto his mouth. Spike tensed at her sudden movement before relaxing into her kiss and snaking his arms around her waist to pull her against him. Their tongues battled for dominance as Buffy wriggled around on his lap. When she pulled away, gasping for air, Spike continued to kiss and nip along her jawline and down her neck. Catching her breath, Buffy gave soft moans at the sensations he was giving her with his mouth.

"That's right, kitten, purr for your Spike," he rumbled against her throat. The vibrations of his voice tickled her neck and seemed to vibrate all the way down to her clit. Buffy trembled at the feeling and began to urgently grind her center against the hardness in Spike's jeans. Feeling slightly out of control, she turned her head to capture Spike's earlobe between her teeth and began to suck in earnest. "Ooooh," Spike moaned, "kitty wants to play." Tightening his hold on her waist, he flipped them so that they were laying across the couch. 

"Spike," Buffy managed, "shut up and touch me." Spike's answering whimper gave her chills. He reached down between them and began to unbutton her jeans.

"I'll touch you, love," he promised. "I'll touch you in a way that will ruin you for other men." He managed to unfasten her pants and pulled them down together with her underwear, taking off her shoes and socks when he got to her feet. Buffy took that time to remove her shirt and bra so that she lay completely naked before him. When he didn't come back up to kiss her right away as expected, she looked down at the end of the couch in exasperation. 

"Spike, what are you -"Her breath caught when she realized Spike was staring at her naked form. His look of awe and wonder as his eyes raked over her body filled her with a feminine pride that no other partner had given her. When his gaze reached her sopping skin between her legs, his eye darkened with lust and he licked his lips.

"You're a bloody wonder, Slayer," he rasped. "Gonna give you a proper seeing-to. Just you be a good girl and lie back." With an almost feline grace, he sank down to bring his face closer to her most hot center.

Buffy watched him with some trepidation. This was not something either Angel or Parker had done for her. With a flash of realization, she reached down and tapped on Spike's head to get his attention before he got busy. "Umm, Spike?" He looked up with her with confusion and worry in his eyes. "Could you undress? It seems kinda unfair that I'm all naked here and you're all...not." Buffy felt a little nervous asking a partner for anything, but the way Spike's eyes glinted and the corners of his mouth turned up, she knew her taking control would have its advantages. Spike stood up and slowly took off his shirt, somehow managing to smirk at her the entire time. And, wow. Just wow. If she had known that's what he looked like under there, she would have undressed him long ago. Spike started to undo his belt, watching her reaction the entire time. She froze, unable to tear her eyes away from the flesh that was being revealed. When his hard cock came out and pointed right at her, she subconsciously licked her lips. 

Spike's smile grew as he shed his pants and boots and took a step closer to where Buffy was waiting for him. "Like what you see, love?" he teased, gripping the base of his cock. Buffy sat up so that she was eye level with his crotch and gave him a nod that was bolder than she felt. She reached out cautiously and took his erection into her tentative grip. "Oh, Christ," Spike exclaimed. 

Buffy didn't have a lot of experience in taking control of a man's pleasure. Her limited encounters had her as the passive party. She looked up at Spike with a shy smile. His eyes were hooded as if he was fighting to keep them open and his mouth was open in a small "o" as he breathed unneeded air in an attempt to keep himself under control. Feeling encouraged, Buffy leaned forward and gave his dick a tentative lick from the head to the base.

"Fuck!" Spike snarled, giving an involuntary thrust of his hips. Buffy's smile turned more genuine as she took the head between her lips and started sucking gently. Spike raised his hands to cup her cheeks. "You gotta stop, love," he grumbled. Buffy looked up in alarm, afraid she did something wrong. "Don't look at me like that, kitten. You keep that up, I'm gonna pop before we even get started." He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs and leaned down to give her a soft kiss. He leaned his forehead against hers. "Besides," he purred, "I promised to give you a proper seeing to." Buffy shivered again as Spike moved his hands to her shoulders to guide her back to a lying position on the couch. 

Spike repositioned himself between her legs. Running a finger along her opening, he sighed in wonder. "So wet for me," he breathed. The feeling of his finger and his breath against her hot skin made Buffy gasp and buck her hips off the couch. Spike gave a low chuckle. "Ooh, and so reactive to your Spike," he said while he grinned up at her. "This is gonna be fun." With that, he ducked his head down and took his first taste. He ran the flat of his tongue along her entire pussy, moaning when he reached her clit. Buffy felt him play around with techniques until he settled for one that left her gasping for air. He alternated between swirling his tongue around her clit and flicking the tip of his tongue against it. 

Buffy had never felt anything like this. The tiny waves of sensation that were coursing through her weren't enough to throw her over the edge, but were so pleasurable that she kept gasping for more. She felt as if she could live like this forever, laying on the couch with simple waves of pleasure rolling over her. She tried to remind herself of why she resisted this for so long, but it felt so good that she simply couldn't care anymore. 

She felt her steady heartbeat begin to escalate in excitement. It damn near burst out of her chest when Spike lifted her legs so that her knees hooked over his shoulders as he brought a finger to her opening. She was so wet, his finger slid in easily. Buffy rewarded his action with a moan and slight hip thrust. He pulled his hand back and inserted two fingers, stretching her tight walls as her inner muscles gripped him. Buffy's moans grew louder in time to his thrusts. Spike smiled up at her before capturing her clit in an open-mouthed kiss and sucking on it fervently. Buffy cried out and began moving her hips faster to increase the sensation. Spike understood her cue for more and added a third finger. Buffy could feel her juices dripping all over his hand and down her thighs as he increased the tempo. Buffy's hips bucked in time with his thrusts, fucking herself on his fingers and mouth. Spike moaned into her pussy and that was it. The vibrations from his moan shot through her clit and sent her over the edge. Buffy gave a hoarse scream as she reached down and grabbed Spike's hair, pulling his face against her throbbing mound. She was grateful that he didn't need to breathe as Spike continued sucking her, slowly lessening the pressure as he brought her back down.

Buffy was gasping for breath and listening to her heart flutter back to a normal rhythm. "Whoa," she breathed. She had never come that hard before. She looked down in exhilarated surprised at the smug vampire who was watching her with his chin resting lightly on the skin just below her belly button. 

"And that's just a taste," Spike promised in a low voice, making a show of sensually licking his lips.

Buffy blinked at him. "Get. Up. Here," she rasped, using the grip she still had on his hair to pull him up to kiss her. His mouth tasted of her and she was shocked at how erotic she found it. Her tongue flew around inside his mouth and across his lips, attempting to experience that unique taste of whiskey and tobacco that only Spike seemed to have. She had never been so turned on in her life. When the taste of her spendings started to fade and the just-as-delicious flavor of Spike was all that was left, Buffy pulled away and looked him in the eye. "I need to feel you inside me. Now."

It was Spike's turn to shiver. "Your wish. My command," he mumbled almost incoherently. He reached down between them and guided himself to her opening. He ran his head along her slit up to her clit, swirling her juices. Buffy gasped again and arched her back, attempting to encourage him to get on with it. "Bloody eager bint," he teased. Buffy gave him a threatening look. He chuckled in response and positioned himself back at her opening, thrusting slightly to apply light pressure. He slowly eased himself in, taking deep calming breaths. Buffy whimpered as he seemed to enter her in slow motion, his cock hitting every sensitive spot within her and gradually lighting a passionate fire.

Buffy could sense that Spike was holding back as if to prolong the experience. She flashed him a wicked grin and thrust her hips up to encourage him to get on with it. With a grunt, he took the hint and pushed himself all the way up to the hilt, causing Buffy to mewl in pleasure. Spike paused as if to compose himself and looked down at the woman spread beneath him. His face was full of awe, wonder, and lust. Buffy couldn’t remember a man ever looking at her that way and she felt a tender smile grace her lips.

Buffy had never felt so full. Spike was hitting spots of pleasure within her that she didn't even know existed. She panted harsh breaths as she allowed her body to get used to the sudden intrusion. Sweat formed along her brow and her heart raced. She looked up into Spike's face, expecting to see him leering at her or, at the very least, hear a snarky comment leave his lips. Instead, she saw a complex mix of emotions flit across his face. Racing through pleasure, wonder, disbelief, and affection, his expression finally settled on an almost gentle determination. He gave her a small smile and managed to whisper, "Gotta move now, pet."

She nodded in encouragement and felt his hips begin to move against hers, slowly at first but gradually building up speed. Buffy whimpered again at the feelings coursing through her body and brought her hands up to run her fingers over his back and shoulders. Their muscles tensed and flexed with his every move. She paused to relish the feel of his strong muscles pulsing in time with their movements. Deltoid muscles really shouldn't be that hot and sexy she thought, but Buffy found herself getting wetter at the feel of his muscles rippling under her fingers. As pleasure built up in her core, she couldn't help but give out soft cries and dig her fingers into those sensual muscles. 

Buffy's cries served to spur Spike on as he increased the speed of his thrusts. "You like that, kitten?" he growled at her. Lost in her pleasure, she didn't respond. Spike growled again before burying himself in her and giving his hips a small twist, rubbing his pubic bone against her clit. Buffy gave a harsh cry and clenched around him. "I asked you a question, Slayer," he reiterated. "You like what I'm doing to you?" Buffy nodded quickly before throwing back her head and closing her eyes as Spike resumed pumping in and out of her hot center. "That's right, I know what you need, baby," he mumbled. He lowered his lips down to her ear and whispered, "You need a little monster in your man." At that, he brought up his hand to pinch her nipple. Buffy screamed out as the slight pain was followed by a rush of pleasure. Spike continued to tease her nipple while bringing his face down to kiss her collarbone while muttering "So bloody gorgeous, love seeing you like this. Love those delicious sounds you make. Do it again." He plucked her nipple again and her reaction brought a smile to his face. "Good girl."

Buffy could feel a tightness in her lower abdomen and knew she couldn't hold on much longer. The sensations that Spike had built up inside her were overwhelming. She moved her hips in time with his, relishing the sound of wet, smacking flesh. The smell of sex was heavy in the air and she felt drunk with it. But it still just wasn't quite enough. In desperation, she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his hips. The change in angle brought him deeper and provided constant stimulation to her clit. She felt all of her muscles tighten before an explosion erupted within her. She felt herself tighten and pulse around him as she flew away into blissful oblivion. 

Spike increased his speed and pumped into her fervently. Buffy could feel his muscles shaking as he fell over the edge. "Oh bloody...oh fuck!" he yelled. His demon came to the fore as he buried his face in her neck and seemed to fight the urge to bite her. His hips slowed to a stop as her muscles slowly stopped milking him of every last drop. He rested there for a moment as Buffy’s heart rate slowed to a normal speed. After a couple minutes, he pulled back to look at her with his human visage back on, vulnerability clouding his eyes.

"Alright there, Slayer?" he asked.

She looked at him with glazed eyes. "Umm...yeah, I'm ok." She unwound her legs from around his waist and gave a little stretch. "Actually, I'm a little more than ok." They shared a small smile before Spike jumped to attention.

"Right, then. Let's get you cleaned up." He took his discarded t-shirt and gave them each a quick wipe to take care of their spendings before contemplating his now soiled shirt and shrugging. "Since we're stuck here, might as well do a little washing up." He threw his shirt down, intending to launder it later. 

Buffy stood and pulled on her pants and shirt and looked down at Spike. "Listen. Not that I didn't enjoy that," she started. She paused when she saw the look of hurt and dismay enter Spike's eyes. She tried again, "I wouldn't mind doing that again sometime, but...maybe we should get some rest. Are you ok sleeping on the couch tonight?"

Buffy did a double take when Spike heaved a sigh. He seemed disappointed about sleeping on the couch. What, some seriously hot sex and he thinks he can share my bed? Sheesh, rush much? Rome wasn’t built in a day.

"Yeah, I'll be good here, pet," he assured her. 

Buffy ran upstairs to the closet and got him some blankets and a pillow. She helped him make up the couch before giving him an awkward "good night" and rushing off to the privacy of her room. Spike sighed again and went to make himself comfortable. Resting his head on the pillow, he stared thoughtfully at the rose on the coffee table. At the slightest hint of movement, he raised his head a few inches off the pillow and narrowed his eyes at the flower. Unless he was mistaken, something moved on the flower and was resting on the table beneath it. It took him a moment to understand what happened.

A single rose petal had fallen.


	2. Chapter 2

Buffy laid on her back in her bed as the sun peeked through her bedroom shades, staring at the cracks in her ceiling and wondering how long she could avoid Spike. What was that last night? Buffy shrugged to herself. She could admit that Spike was attractive. And, sheesh, there was something there. That “Will Be Done” spell had gotten her thinking of Spike as a guy, not just a vampire. But, still, to jump in his lap...

Her thinking trailed off when the most delicious smells permeated the room. Mmmmm, something smelled good! When her stomach rumbled, she decided she couldn't fight it anymore. After using the bathroom, she trudged downstairs, following the amazing aroma wafting from the kitchen. And stopped dead.

Spike. Spike was in her kitchen. Spike was cooking in her kitchen. Buffy swallowed the lump in her throat. Spike was cooking in her kitchen shirtless. Her mind went blank, trying to find the right words to announce her presence. 

"Morning, pet," Spike rumbled from the stove without turning around. "Hungry?"

"Guh," Buffy replied eloquently. As Spike plated the food and turned around to place it on the kitchen island, she got a full view of those amazingly chiseled pectorals. 

Spike did a little squat to peer into her eyes. "Uh, Buffy? You alright, love?"

Buffy shook herself. "Oh yeah, food, mmhmm." Spike chuckled and turned to get silverware from the drawer. 

Tearing her eyes away, she finally looked at the food Spike had made for breakfast and laughed.

Spike turned back to her and raised an eyebrow. "There a problem?"

Buffy tried to stifle her giggles. "You made me Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes!" she said incredulously.

Spike just looked confused. "Yeah?"

She shook her head. "Just a little cutesy for the Big Bad. I wasn't exactly expecting you to make me breakfast."

Spike beamed at her. "I take care of my girl." Buffy opened her mouth to interrupt, but Spike continued. "I know, I know. You're not exactly my girl. But we shared something. And I'm gonna treat you right." He gazed into her eyes intently until she started to squirm uncomfortably. Spike must have noticed because he cut the tension quickly. "So eat up, yeah? We worked up an appetite last night." He winked at her and began to make himself a plate.

Buffy shrugged to herself and slathered her pancakes with syrup. Her hand flew up to her mouth after her first bite. "Oh my god, this may be the best thing I ever put into my mouth," she gasped. Realizing what she just said, her eyes shot up and met his, horrified. He grinned and winked at her. She ducked her head down and mumbled, "These are really good pancakes."

Spike just chuckled again and dug in with gusto. Buffy watched him curiously, realizing she didn't actually know Spike that well. 

"Why do you do that?" she wondered aloud.

Spike glanced up from his plate at her. "Do what?" he asked, with his mouth full.

"This," she gestured at him vaguely with her fork. "You're eating food." Spike just stared at her. "It's food," she said slowly like he was very dim. He just stared at her some more. "You're a vampire..." she prompted.

"Yeah, love, I had noticed," he said sarcastically. He gave a little shrug and seemed to ponder the pancakes. "I like food. You shouldn't say no to things that make you feel good." He leered at her before taking another huge bite of pancake. 

Buffy felt a hot jolt go through her body all the way to her core. She looked up a bit shyly to ask, "And you just had to make breakfast shirtless?"

Spike smirked at her again. "Shirt was a bit dirty, kitten," he reminded her.

Buffy stared at him over her plate. "So you're just going to be shirtless the whole time we're stuck here?"

Spike's eyes smoldered as he looked into hers. How does he do that? she wondered. He licked his lips. 

"Excites you, does it?" he purred.

"Ugh, whatever, Spike. Just put your shirt back on," Buffy shuddered. Way too much flirting with her kinda-sorta mortal enemy over breakfast. She took another bite, trying not to show him how much his alabaster chest did excite her. She allowed her eyes to travel to his arms, the way the tendons and muscles moved as he navigated his fork around his food...

"Can't."

Buffy startled. "Can't...can't what?" she questioned blankly. Way to play it cool, Buffy, she reprimanded herself.

"Can't put my shirt on. It's in the laundry, innit?"

"In the - " Buffy puffed herself up indignantly. "You're running an entire load of laundry for one shirt?"

Spike looked back up at her. "Are you completely sack-of-hammers? Of course not. You had a bit of laundry in the hamper, I have it all running through."

"Oh." Buffy deflated. Then she straightened back up. "Oh my god, you saw my dirty laundry?!"

Spike grinned at her. "Yeah." Taking another bite, he talked to her around his food. "I don't know what you're so fussed about, I saw all your goodies last night."

Buffy groaned. "And we're back to talking about last night."

Spike set his fork down. "Listen, pet. I'm going to level with you. Last night was incredible. Wouldn't say no to a repeat performance, myself. But I'm not gonna pressure you. If you want, we will take this step by step, see what happens."

"Wow, that is completely level-headed of you," she said, surprised. "Where is all this coming from?"

Spike sighed. "I don't know. Ever since that sodding spell, I've looked at you differently. You were always a hot piece, but now I’ve got the ability to admit affection, too, you know?"

Buffy wasn't completely sold. "Uh-huh" 

Spike threw up his hands in exasperation. "Love's bitch, ain't I? Not gonna say I love you, you crazy bint, but I'm willing to ride the emotions to find out what this is. What do you say?"

Buffy thought about it. Apparently, she wasn't the only one feeling some kind of way after Willow's spell. She smiled and took another bite of breakfast before looking at him again. "Thanks for doing the laundry."

He smiled and accepted the peace offering. 

**********

They were clearing up the dishes when there was a knock at the front door. Buffy and Spike shared a look before drying their hands and going into the living room. Buffy reached over to the window and rapped on it with her knuckles. After a moment, Giles appeared.

"Can you hear me?" she asked loudly through the glass.

Giles looked confused. "Er, yes. Look, could you open the door and let me in?"

"No."

"No?"

Buffy shrugged at him. "No. We're locked in here. Can't get out. And the phones are down, so we couldn't call you."

Giles frowned. "We?" he questioned. Then he caught sight of Spike standing just behind Buffy. "Oh, dear lord." He hurriedly wiped his glasses. 

Spike smirked at the Watcher. "We," he confirmed smugly.

Giles sputtered indignantly. "But what on earth is Spike doing there?"

Buffy rolled her eyes in frustration. "It's a long story and I'm not shouting through a closed window all day. Could you do some research about why we are trapped in my house?"

Giles collected himself. "Of course. I'll get right on it. Have we got any clues?"

Buffy glanced behind her at the coffee table. Yup, it was still there. "Um, there's a rose. In a bell jar. And, uh, the petals seem to be falling off."

"Dear lord," Giles said again. Buffy wondered if he was going for a world record. "Seems like another part of the fairy tale curse you were trapped in. I shall look into it."

Buffy smiled at him. "Thanks. Oh, and don't include the others yet. Not until we know for sure that there's something to worry about." She figured the last thing she needed was a Scooby reaction to her having Spike in her house.

Giles nodded and started to leave before turning again. "Sorry, but why is Spike shirtless?"

"Giles!" Buffy yelled. She could feel her face turn red as Spike chuckled lowly behind her.

"Right," Giles said. He finally left to go explore what could be happening to his Slayer.

Once he was out of sight, Spike clapped his hands together. "Right, now that Pop's out of the way, what shall we do? There might be an idea or two in my noggin that should keep us occupied ‘til this is resolved." He curled his tongue behind his teeth. 

Guh. How does he do that? Buffy wondered again. She tried to change the subject before she ended up jumping him again. "TV?" she suggested.

Spike's smile turned more tender as he relaxed. "Sounds great, pet." He sat on the couch and held his arm out for her to settle next to him.

Buffy just stared at him. "What are you doing?"

Spike looked at her, confused. "Getting ready to watch telly," he enunciated slowly. 

Buffy wrinkled her nose. "I can't sit on the couch with you while you're all shirtless. It's too awkward."

Spike looked like he had a perverted retort ready, but swallowed it back. "Alright, pet, I'll go check the laundry." He obediently got up and walked down to the basement.

Huh. Spike was not only listening to her, but he was being kind. Buffy sat on the couch to wonder about this for a moment. It turned out that Spike was more complex than she thought. She could kick herself for considering it, but he seemed to have more layers than Parker and even Angel. And wasn't that a sobering thought?

Spike came back in wearing his shirt and smelling like laundry detergent. When he sat next to her, Buffy had to resist the urge to cuddle into the yummy-smelling shirt and the sexy vampire that was in it. 

Spike picked up the remote. "Turns out we have good timing, love. Passions is on."

Buffy turned in her seat and stared at him. "Excuse me? No. We're gonna watch Judge Judy."

Spike laughed at her. "Glad you think so, pet. But Passions is way better than any menopausal judge."

"Spike, I'm not gonna sit here and watch my mom's soap opera."

Spike turned to look at her with both eyebrows raised in surprise. "Joyce watches Passions?" he inquired. "Huh. Knew she was a good lady."

Buffy sighed in exasperation. "The last thing I want to do is sit here and watch daytime soaps with you." 

Spike opened his mouth to argue, so Buffy raised her voice. "Shut up, Spike. The case is settled." She lowered her voice to mutter, "Mom tapes it, anyway."

Spike smiled at her in delight. "That right?" He shrugged. "Well, then, what my lady wants, she gets." Settling in, he flipped the channel over to Judge Judy. Buffy frowned to herself. What a strange vampire. 

Deciding to take everything one step at a time, she allowed herself to relax and snuggled into the crook of his arm to watch tv.


	3. Chapter 3

Buffy had never been so confused before. Watching television with a soulless vampire was weird enough. But watching said vampire clean her house was giving her serious wiggins. 

They had watched TV together for an hour or two when Spike had jumped up and started pacing. He eventually took his pacing into the kitchen where he proceeded to clean the counters. Then he moved around the house, cleaning all the surfaces. Buffy just watched him with her mouth hanging open in shock. 

When he asked her where she kept the vacuum, she couldn't take it anymore. "What the hell, Spike?" she blurted. 

Spike blinked at her. "Huh?"

"What's with the Mega Maid routine? Trying to say my mother keeps a dirty house?"

Spike groaned in frustration. "No! It's just that I'm so bloody bored!" Buffy raised an eyebrow at him. He hastened to correct his misstep. "Not that hanging out with you isn't surprisingly..." he couldn't seem to find the right word as her eyebrows rose further up her forehead in anticipation of what he might say. Spike digressed, "I'm just so bloody cooped up. Trying to be sodding constructive, aren't I?"

Well, that was unexpected. Spike was feeling restless so he started doing household chores? Buffy had never heard of such a thing. He just continued to surprise her. She took a few slow steps forward until she stood directly in front of him. Even more slowly, she leaned in to give him a gentle kiss. 

Spike didn't seem to mind this course of action. He moaned softly into her mouth and pulled her closer by her hips. Buffy started to relax against his body when she heard knocking coming from the living room window.

Spike broke away and frowned toward the noise. "Oh, bloody hell!"

Buffy's soft laugh turned into an annoyed grunt when she could hear Xander's voice coming through the glass in the other room.

"Buffy! Buffy, are you alright in there? Giles told us you were trapped and we think we know - " Xander trailed off when Buffy and Spike came into the room. He pointed accusingly at the vampire. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Willow was standing next to Xander, looking sheepish. "Xander, maybe we should just tell her what I - "

"What do you mean, 'what is he doing here?' Xander?” Buffy interrupted. “You come over here and just start yelling at me like I locked myself in my house and cut my own phone lines!" She ran her hands angrily through her hair. "I told Giles not to say anything to you guys. I just knew you would take things the wrong way."

Spike sauntered over to Buffy and touched her elbow. "If your friends want a show, we could give them one, love," he suggested lowly so that only she could hear. Buffy shivered in desire but otherwise ignored the vampire.

Willow tried again, "Guys, I think everyone is forgetting that I know what - "   
"This is so typical of you, Buff," Xander ranted. "What, he can't hurt you, so you bring him home? I wouldn't be surprised if you're sleeping with him, you always did have a vampire fetish."

Buffy felt tears gather in her eyes. Spike gripped her elbow tighter and growled protectively. Oddly enough, his growl infused her with confidence and strength. She jutted out her chin and stood her ground.

"That's enough. If you're going to come over here just to insult me, then you can't be here. Just...get away from me."

Xander slammed his palms against the window in anger before grabbing Willow and pulling her with him as he stomped a retreat. 

Buffy let out a shaking breath as her friends disappeared from the window. When it came to her love life, Xander really knew how to twist the knife. She ran her hand through her hair again in an attempt to soothe her nerves. She turned to look at Spike only to realize he wasn't there. He had somehow left the room without making a sound. Sheesh, is that some weird vampire trait or something? Buffy wondered as she searched the house for him.

She eventually found the vampire in the basement sorting through the laundry basket by the washing machine. He glanced at her as she reached the bottom step but didn't stop what he was doing.

"How much sodding laundry do you have?" he mumbled under his breath.

Buffy went over and leaned against the dryer. "I know that was a heck of a thing up there, but you really don't have to do my laundry," she said wryly. 

Spike shoved a bunch of white clothes into the machine without looking at her. He turned to the shelves with all of the cleaning products. "Where's the damn bleach?" he demanded.

Buffy pushed off of the dryer and walked over to the shelves. She hooked her ankle around a stool that was nearby before stepping up on it to retrieve the bleach. She tried to open up communication again as Spike poured bleach into the wash and closed the machine.

"Words and me are unmixy things, but we should probably talk about what Xander said," she started. "I don't want you to - mmph!" 

Her words were cut off by a rough kiss as Spike pulled her roughly against him and began to nudge his tongue into her mouth. Any resistance Buffy might have had melted away when she felt him flick his tongue sensually against the roof of her mouth. Her light moan turned into a giggle.

Spike pulled away and raised an eyebrow at her. She grinned at him sheepishly. "That tickles," she explained.

Spike looked amused for a moment before his eyes began to darken. Pressed as she was against him, Buffy could feel another growl rumble through his chest. She quivered in lust and felt her panties begin to get wet.

The vampire's nostrils flared as he took in her scent. He leaned his forehead against hers and licked his lips. "No one gets to talk to you the way your supposed friend just did," he rasped in a low voice. He came in for a possessive kiss, giving her lip a small nip with his blunt teeth. Buffy felt a thrill go through her and her knees began to go weak. "You're mine, Buffy."

Buffy knew the dynamic of their relationship was drastically altering. They may have agreed to play it by ear, but it seemed like Spike already had strong emotional ties to her. She had to admit that the more time she was spending with him, the more she liked him. And this possessiveness was way sexier than she thought it would be. Still, that didn't mean she was ready to profess any type of romantic claim.

She opted instead to try to break the tension. "I've been yours since the moment you did my chores." Spike reared back a bit so that he could tilt his head as he considered her. She leaned in to close the space, whispering, "I really hate laundry."

A truly wicked smile pulled Spike's lips as he tightened his grip on her waist. "That's just because you haven't experienced the spin cycle, yet." He used his grip on her waist to pick her up and place her on top of the washer.

Buffy yipped at being lifted unexpectedly. The rumble of the machine provided a subtle vibration that teased her core. She looked back at Spike and gave him a devious smile of her own. Cupping her hands to the back of his neck, she pulled him in for a passionate kiss. As their tongues sparred for dominance, Buffy wrapped her legs around Spike's torso and brought his body closer to hers.

Spike brought a hand up to caress Buffy's nipple through her shirt. "Just take it off," Buffy gasped between moans. Before she knew it, her shirt and bra were gone and Spike was once again shirtless. She ran her nails lightly down his chest, feeling his abs quiver as she reached for his belt. Spike sucked in a sharp breath when she pushed down his jeans and took his cock into a firm grip. He pulled back from their kiss to pepper her jaw and neck with wet, open-mouthed kisses as she pumped him in a steady rhythm. Buffy turned her head slightly and lightly took his earlobe between her teeth and sucked gently.

"Sod this," Spike mumbled. He violently ripped off her pants and went to situate himself between her legs. Buffy placed her hands on his shoulders so that she could shift to the edge of the machine. 

"Umm,, Spike? How are we - " Buffy questioned, glancing at his stiff erection. Spike was just a bit too short for them to comfortably come together while she was sitting on the washer.

Spike swore under his breath and looked around. Buffy giggled when he kicked over the stool that she had used to get the bleach and hopped up on it. She quickly stifled her giggles when she saw the lust filling his eyes when he looked at her. His eyes had a touch of vampiric gold in them, causing him to look like a true predator. She felt the back of her neck tingle in warning, while at the same time she felt the flood gates open between her legs.

Spike's nostrils flared when he smelled her arousal and he surged forward to give her a heated kiss. Buffy reached down and guided his cock to her opening. "Mmm, you're so wet for me, aren't you, Slayer?" he whispered against her lips. "I could smell your delicious honey from a mile away."

"Guh," Buffy responded eloquently. She wasn't entirely comfortable with talking dirty, but she was quickly learning that she liked the way Spike did it. She gave his cock a few more firm pumps before tilting her pelvis to allow him entry.

Spike slid into her heat easily and wasted no time in setting a bruising pace. Buffy's moans matched his speed as pleasure lanced through her. Her nails gripped his shoulders tightly as she threw her head back and closed her eyes, riding the sensations rippling through her. 

As her climax approached, Buffy turned her head to catch Spike's gaze, knowing his intense eyes would be exactly what she needed to throw her over the edge. She was dismayed to see that he had turned his face away from her. His jaw was clenched against the growls emitting from his throat, accentuating his strong bone structure. Buffy took a moment to admire his features before she couldn't take it anymore.

"Spike," she whispered. "Look at me." 

Spike shook his head frantically with an animalistic snarl. He increased his thrusts to a pace that would have been impossible to humans at the same time that the spin cycle of the laundry began to pick up pace. The machine vibrated and shook in opposition to their coupling, increasing the excitement and unpredictability. Buffy cried out at the feeling and felt her lower muscles begin to tense up. Spike rested his forehead on her shoulder, as if to look down and watch their coupling. When he brought down a hand to vigorously rub her clit, Buffy flew apart. Her slick walls milked his cock, bringing about his completion as well. His vampiric roar sent a thrill down Buffy's spine, prompting a second, unexpected, orgasm. 

Struggling to catch her breath, Buffy tried to look at Spike again. He was still resting his head against her shoulder, taking large, unnecessary gulps of air. 

"Spike? Why won't you look at me?" 

Spike slowly lifted his face, vampiric features on full display. He seemed to be struggling to return to his human face. He took a step away from her, his semi-erect cock slipping from her sticky folds. "I can't control it," he gasped. He turned his head to the side, looking away from her once again. "My demon wants to bite you."

Buffy felt her arousal course through her again. She considered this carefully. It wasn't like Spike could drain her, not with the chip in his head. And it did sound super hot...there was something animalistic and sensual about the way Spike looked at her that called to the primal Slayer within her.

"Then do it," she said quietly. Spike's head snapped around to look at her, fangs bared. Buffy shrugged. "I'm not saying go to town, but you don't have to fight it. I'm, uh, kinda curious." She smiled shyly. She wasn't used to expressing what she wanted in bed, but Spike's overt sexuality made her feel safe to voice hidden desires.

Spike growled again, sounding every bit the demon. "You are not food!" he rasped.

Buffy's eyes twinkled. "Then don't eat me!" Realizing the possible double meaning of her words, she giggled and hopped off the washer to get dressed.

Buffy had just finished fastening her pants when she felt a firm hand grasp her upper arm and spin her around. Spike's human visage was back and he was staring at her with blue eyes filled with wonder.

"Careful what you ask for, pet. You want me to bite you, I will. And you'll be ruined for all other blokes," he smirked. After a brief moment, his smile dropped and he released her arm. "But I'm not gonna snack on you, love. Respect you too much for that. And right now, I'm hungry. I need to feed before we explore this kink of yours, eh?"

Buffy cocked her head as she considered him for a moment. She really liked that he was considering her desires and was going about them in a sane and safe way. And she really did wanna try the bitey thing. 

"Alright," she conceded, "let's go upstairs and see if there's any blood in the fridge. Then maybe we could continue this talk."

She winked playfully and started up the stairs, leaving a shocked and still naked vampire in her wake.


	4. Chapter 4

Buffy closed the fridge slowly. "Huh," she mused to an attentive Spike, "I could have sworn I had some old blood left in here." Spike grunted in disgust. She pointed a finger at him, "Hey, old blood is better than no blood!"

Spike rolled his eyes. "You have no blood, you dozy bint."

"Attitude, mister," she groused back at him. Spike heaved a sigh and started moving about the kitchen, taking out various pots and pans. Buffy eyed him quizzically. "Now what are you doing?"

Spike gave her an exasperated look. "No reason for us both to go hungry, is there? Relax, Slayer. I'm making dinner tonight."

Buffy contemplated the vampire for a moment. "You know," she began slowly, "You're right." Spike raised an eyebrow at her. "There's really no need for both of us to go hungry." She sent Spike a meaningful look. 

Spike swiftly went back to preparing to cook. "No." he said shortly. Glancing over his shoulder and seeing her still looking at him, he elaborated. "I told you before, you're not food. I think more of you than that."

Buffy put her hand on her cocked hip. "This is silly. I can help!" When Spike ignored her, she deflated slightly. "Alright, let's make a deal. If we aren't out of here by tomorrow, you let me feed you a little bit. Deal?"

Spike seemed to contemplate her proposal for a moment before giving in and nodding stiffly. "You got yourself a deal, kitten. So long as you're ready to come harder than you ever have in your life." He tossed her a wink over his shoulder as she blushed furiously.

"I think I can handle it," she shot back. "I'm gonna go pick out a movie for us, we can have a TV dinner," she offered. She was already halfway out of the room when she heard his grunt of approval. She entered the living room and stared blankly at the movies they had. This gave her the perfect excuse to think about what was going on.

She had sex with Spike. Twice! And was offering to feed him straight from the tap. Buffy tried to think about her battle with the dragon. Had she hit her head or gotten a personality transplant? Or maybe I'm falling for Spike, she contemplated. Huh. Maybe Xander was right. Maybe she did have a vampire kink. At least I don't have to worry about Spike going all evil. Hello, already slept together and no soul to lose, she joked to herself. She shrugged. She didn't know where this was going, but she could decide what movie to watch.

She went to put her movie choice on the coffee table and stopped to look at the mysterious rose. There were three petals laying on the tabletop. Did more fall without us noticing? Buffy wondered anxiously about what would happen when all the petals fell. There only seemed to be a couple left and the floating flower was wilting. She gave a start when there was suddenly a plate of pasta placed in front of her. She hadn't even heard the vampire enter the room.

"Alright there, love?" Spike looked slightly concerned. "You don't look so good."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks." She moved some food around on her plate as she sat on the couch. "It's just...I was thinking about what happens when the last petal falls." She pointed with her chin to indicate the rose.

Spike sat on the couch next to her with a plate of his own and contemplated the flower. "Seems to be dropping petals rather quickly, doesn't it? I suppose it will follow the fairy tale. Beast go boom."

"The Beast didn't explode, Spike."

"No, but he died, didn't he?" Spike retorted. "I figure that'll be me, unless I win the fair lady's heart." He jokingly batted his eyelashes at the Slayer.

Buffy laughed and allowed the subject change so they could enjoy dinner without too much gloom and doom. She took a bite and exclaimed in surprise, "Mmm,Spike! This is really good!"

Spike barked out a laugh. "No need to sound so surprised, love. Been around for a sodding century, haven't I?"

Buffy made a face at him which he promptly returned. Buffy maturely responded by sticking out her tongue. 

Spike's eyes darkened. "Watch it, Slayer, or you'll get bitten sooner rather than later."

Buffy gave a little squeal and mock-kicked him with her foot before returning to her meal. This was fun! She never thought in a million years that she could have fun hanging out with Spike. She grabbed the VCR remote and hit "play" to allow the opening trailers to begin. 

"You know," Spike's silky voice dropped an octave, making Buffy shiver in delighted anticipation of whatever dirty thing he was about to say, "If you were on your monthlies, this little deal we struck would be null and void."

"Gross, Spike!" Buffy shrieked. She looked down on her plate, wondering how she was supposed to eat after that comment. She looked at Spike out of the corner of her eye and saw him watching her, licking his lips slowly. Guh. Heat rushed between her legs and she squeezed her thighs together. Maybe the idea wasn't so gross. She saw Spike's nostrils flare as he blatantly smelled her arousal before she rolled her eyes and dug back into her pasta.

"Oh, bloody hell," Spike groaned as the movie started. 

"Whatever is the matter, William?" Buffy put on an innocent air and took her turn at fluttering her eyelashes. 

"You put on a bloody horror movie," Spike groaned as the opening credits for I Know What You Did Last Summer came on. "It's not even that scary!"

Buffy dropped the innocent act. "What do you have against horror movies?" 

Spike gave her a look. "Love, I am a horror movie."

Buffy laughed and turned her attention back to the film. 

They were halfway through the movie when Spike mumbled something about one of the characters. 

"What was that?" Buffy asked.

"That Helen bird. She's hot." 

"Excuse me?!"

"What?"

Buffy sputtered at him. "You're seriously going to sit next to me on the couch and drool over other women?"

Spike looked taken aback for a moment before a knowing smile graced his lips and twinkled in his eyes. "Uh huh," he drawled.

"What?"

"You're jealous!" he crowed.

"Am not!"

"Are too! You're jealous of a bint on the bloody telly!" He laughed.

"Shut up!"

"Well, that certainly hit a nerve," he guffawed. He sobered up quickly at the look on her face. "Buffy, love, come on. She looks like you."

"What? No, she doesn't."

Spike shrugged at her. "Have it your way, then." He looked back at her, his face softening with affection. He held out his arm in a peace offering. Buffy glared at him for a split second before scooching in close and resting her head on his shoulder. They finished the rest of the film cuddled up on the couch, jealousy forgotten. 

**********

Buffy rolled over in bed, hindered slightly by the arm around her waist that was holding her tightly against the hard body spooned against her. She stared at the ceiling, questioning her decision to let Spike sleep with her. It was all such a whirlwind. One minute, they were finishing a movie and watching yet another rose petal fall, and the next she was inviting him upstairs. What's more, he didn't even try any funny stuff. His look of awe and affection was etched into her brain. All he did was hold her and stroke her hair until she fell asleep. She had never felt so safe and peaceful.

So why was she awake? It was still dark. Buffy glanced at her clock. 3am. A distant banging came to her attention.

"Buffy! Buffy, I know you're in there!" A voice was shouting. She felt the arm around her waist tighten slightly before Spike raised his head.

"What's that?" he asked her. She shrugged helplessly at him as the banging continued. The Slayer and her vampire cautiously made their way downstairs where they realized the noise was coming from the front window. As Spike went to turn on a light, Buffy couldn't help but notice that yet another rose petal had fallen. She gulped nervously. There was only one petal left.

Spike's possessive growl brought her back to the present. Now that the light was on, she could see outside the window. Groaning to herself, she wished she had never woken up. 

"Buffy!" Angel was banging on the window with the butt of a crossbow. "What is he doing here?" Angel pointed at Spike accusingly. Spike's growls increased in volume, causing the tiny hairs on the back of Buffy's neck to stand up. She reached out to put a reassuring hand on his arm before directing her attention at Angel.

"We have been stuck here. Something bizarre is going on. What are you doing here?" She questioned nervously. There was something off about Angel. 

As if to prove her suspicions, Angel began to bang on the glass harder, causing it to crack. His eyes were wild, pupils so wide they were almost black. Another strike with the weapon and the glass shattered. Buffy gasped and assumed a fighting stance as Angel raised the crossbow and pointed it into the house.

"No!" Spike roared and shoved Buffy behind him.

"Angel! Angel, wait!" Buffy could hear faint voices from down the street. She vaguely registered that the Scoobies were running down the street toward the house, shouting out to her and Angel. She could not comprehend what they were saying. Her vision tunneled as Angel loosed an arrow that swiftly embedded itself in Spike's chest just shy of his heart.

"Oh my god, Spike!" Buffy caught him as he fell and gently lowered him to the floor. Spike looked up at her with wide eyes.

"Buffy, love, watch out - " Spike weakly tried to warn her before his eyes began to close.

Buffy quickly looked up at Angel to make sure he wasn't advancing on the pair. The Scoobies had arrived and grabbed his arms, attempting to pull him away. The crazed look in Angel's eyes had disappeared to be replaced with utter confusion. Deciding that he wasn't an immediate threat anymore, Buffy turned her attention back to Spike and gasped.

The arrow must have been dipped in some type of poison. Black veins were stemming from the wound. The scent of rotting flesh began to waft up from the puncture. Buffy felt tears run down her face.

"Spike? Spike, you need to wake up! Spike!" she sobbed. No matter how loud she called his name, he did not regain consciousness.

"Buffy, come on! You can probably get out now, come on!" came Xander's voice from the porch.

"Xander, look! The last petal is falling!" Buffy could hear Willow gasp, but it didn't fully register. All that mattered was the sharp lance of pain that she felt in her heart at the idea that Spike was poisoned and may dust soon. Just when she had begun to open herself up to someone, he was being taken away from her.

"No, Spike, you have to come back! This is stupid, just wake up! You have to!" Buffy cried. Succumbing to her grief, she laid her head on his sternum, body racking with sobs. Not caring that her friends were watching, she finally admitted out loud what she had been fighting for so long. "I love you, you stupid vampire."

The light was blinding. A ray of pure white light shone from Spike's wound, disintegrating the protruding arrow and healing the puncture. Buffy backed away quickly with a gasp, banging into the coffee table and knocking over the glass that draped over the now dead magic rose. The glass shattered on the floor with a great crash. Spike's unconscious form began to glow and rise in the air. Buffy continued to scurry backwards, cutting her hands on the glass on the floor. She didn't even notice, entranced as she was by the sight of Spike floating and shining, his body inches off the floor.

After a moment, the light began to dim and Spike was slowly lowered so that his feet touched the ground. He regained consciousness in time to stand. He looked down at where his wound was in bafflement before looking around him. His eyes first landed on Angel and the Scoobies, staring from their spot outside. Their faces looked astounded and terrified. Spike snarled at them and flashed a bit of fang for good measure before looking for his Slayer. His face softened when he saw her on the floor looking up at him with wide eyes. He held out his hand to gently help her up.

"Spike? How...?" Buffy managed through her tears.

Spike chuckled. "Looks like you broke the spell, Princess," he said affectionately, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Ummm, Buffy?" Willow's voice interrupted the moment. "We are just gonna take Angel and...you know what? Meet us at Giles' house. We have some explaining to do." Willow determinedly marched Angel and Xander away.

Buffy only vaguely sensed her friends leaving, so intent she was on the vampire before her. "I don't understand what the hell just happened," she whispered.

Spike raised her bloodied hands and kissed them, licking the blood off his lips as he went. His eyes sparkled into hers. "You don't remember what you said before Beast went boom?" he teased lightly.

Buffy's eyes went even wider. "You heard that?" she squeaked.

Spike chuckled. "I've seen the movie, pet," he reminded her. He leaned in and rested his forehead on hers. "Say it again," he begged, "please."

Buffy gave a tremulous smile. "I love you," she said in a shaky voice. His answering smile dazzled her and she tried again with more confidence. "I love you, Spike!"

Spike's laugh was so full of joy that it seemed like he was glowing again. "I love you too, you dozy bint." He smiled. Then he kissed the tip of her nose and whispered, "This is the part where we live happily ever after."

Buffy felt her face stretch into the biggest smile she had ever had before nodding through the happy tears coursing down her face. Leaning in, she kissed her vampire until she couldn't breathe. And then she kissed him some more.


End file.
